FSXA What coulor is invisible ?

[bstikkel]

Hello experienced FSdevellopers,

I am trying to create grass sides for rural runway-sides.
To achieve that I took a polygon and applied a grass-picture on it.
However, above it and between the grass I would want it to be invisible texture, just like with the tree textures.

I tried black, but this seems not to work.

Can you tell me which is the right colour?

Thanks in advance !
Bram Stikkel

 

[RicherSims]

If you delete the black in photoshop and save it as a .png file it will contain and alpha channel that will give you transparency. (Or you could just set the alpha channel to match the black colour).
Then save the png file as a DDS DXT3 or DXT5 file using DXTBMP.

Many other ways to skin that cat of course...

 

[bstikkel]

Thanks !

Thank you very much.
I can go on now.

Greetings,
Bram

 

[RicherSims]

Welcome.

 

[bstikkel]

Stil no succes...

Hello Mousy,

In the meantime I have tried out all kinds of option concerning Alpha channel.
I created a Alphachannel 'mask' like you advised with DTXbmp, but without the intended result.

A second attempt, the option in the FSDS in partproperties, use Transparant texture, was switched on, but without any result.

I tried both DTX 3 and DTX 5 from as well Paint.net as from DTXbmp, but with no positive result.

The last thing I have tried as a test is using an existing tree texture - with proper alpha channel layer visible in DTXbmp, applied to a simple polygon.
Again there lacks any transparancy, as you can see in the attachment.

It is probably something simple I do wrong, but the question is: what ?

Any more idears ?

Thanks in advance.
Bram

 

[tgibson]

Something about Transparency in the Material Properties, as I remember?

 

[art209]

Be sure to name the part's material with a name that starts with "trans".

Art

 

[bstikkel]

Hello all,

Thanks for your idears.

In the meantime I have found this tutorial, which has helped me a big step further. Indeed must be typed 'trans' in the material section in FSDS.
It now results in an object with transparent texture parts, as wanted.
The only problem now is the fact that clouds, planes and other moving scenery behind my object, are depicted in front of my object.

This problem is handled in the tutotial below, but the instructions end with a .mdl file. The step to a .bgl file is missing.
I have allready asked the author of the tutorial for more info.

In case any of you knows how to solve this last step,.. I will be very glad to hear / read it.

http://farfyscenery.katuu.com/Tutorials/Objects%20that%20use%20transparent%20textures%20with%20FSDS%203.5.1.htm

 

[FelixFFDS]

If you are modelling scenery for FSX (as indicated in the thread title) it is my understanding that FSX does not use the bgl as a basic scenery model, but rather a scenery mdl file. In that case, from FSDS you compile a "scenery mdl" (File->Create Scenery Model).

Hello all,

This problem is handled in the tutotial below, but the instructions end with a .mdl file. The step to a .bgl file is missing.

 

[bstikkel]

Hi Felix,
Thanks for your reply. However, I cannot import this model in FSDS, since FSDS works with an own format.

If I could import it, the manually added extra rules in the .x file, would be disappeared, I understood from the tutorial I linked to.

Thanks for your helping thinking of a solution anyway !

Bram

 

[FelixFFDS]

Which version of FSDS are you using?

Since v.3, FSDS uses the established SDKs to export the final model. FSDS has it's own modelling format (the *.fsc file) but that's only used by the program. The content is compiled using the SDK (FSDS actually creates the .x file and employs a batch file with which then processes the x file with the xtomdl.exe for FS-X.

Hi Felix,
Thanks for your reply. However, I cannot import this model in FSDS, since FSDS works with an own format.

If I could import it, the manually added extra rules in the .x file, would be disappeared, I understood from the tutorial I linked to.

Thanks for your helping thinking of a solution anyway !

Bram

 

[bstikkel]

Ha, it almost comes to a chat-session.
I use 3.51 or something like that, the latest version anyway.

The XtoMDL.exe is were I dropped the .x file on, and it results in the .mdl file.
But in the Addon Scenery FSX needs a .BGL file.
I understand .BGL is a kind of model library.

How does one create such a .BGL starting with the .MDL file ?

Greetings and thanks again.
Bram Stikkel (I cannot reply immediately from now)

 

[jpfil]

Hi,
You can use a library maker, like Instant Scenery.

 

[art209]

Anybody making scenery for an airport should obtain and learn to use Airport Design Editor. It is very good for placing .mdl objects not in a library as well as library objects.

Art

 

[FelixFFDS]

If you have set up your FSDS 3.5.1 correctly, pointing to the correct SDK locations, FSDS will allow you to "create a FS object file" and in the dialog, you can choose to create a scenery object bgl or mdl directly.

the older FSDS V2 used its own compiler (basically, the formats used for FS2000/CFS2/FS2002) and even there you could choose bgl., mdl, or the other formats (.api?) then supported.

Ha, it almost comes to a chat-session.
I use 3.51 or something like that, the latest version anyway.

The XtoMDL.exe is were I dropped the .x file on, and it results in the .mdl file.
But in the Addon Scenery FSX needs a .BGL file.
I understand .BGL is a kind of model library.

How does one create such a .BGL starting with the .MDL file ?

Greetings and thanks again.
Bram Stikkel (I cannot reply immediately from now)

 

[kevintampa5]

Anybody making scenery for an airport should obtain and learn to use Airport Design Editor. It is very good for placing .mdl objects not in a library as well as library objects.

Art

And MCX, as MCX allows some added functions that ADE does not (such as spectral and night textures.)
Both tools should be learned by all beginning-moderate designers.

 

[FelixFFDS]

And MCX, as MCX allows some added functions that ADE does not (such as spectral and night textures.)
Both tools should be learned by all beginning-moderate designers.

I agree. I think the issue here is creating the mdl / bgl object first.

Heck - bypass the SDK.... USe MCX to import the *.fsc and create the MDL in the first place!

 

[bstikkel]

Anybody making scenery for an airport should obtain and learn to use Airport Design Editor. It is very good for placing .mdl objects not in a library as well as library objects.

Art

Okay, thanks Art, I will try that out !

 

[bstikkel]

And MCX, as MCX allows some added functions that ADE does not (such as spectral and night textures.)
Both tools should be learned by all beginning-moderate designers.

Allright, thank you too.
I will give this a try too.

 

[bstikkel]

If you have set up your FSDS 3.5.1 correctly, pointing to the correct SDK locations, FSDS will allow you to "create a FS object file" and in the dialog, you can choose to create a scenery object bgl or mdl directly.

the older FSDS V2 used its own compiler (basically, the formats used for FS2000/CFS2/FS2002) and even there you could choose bgl., mdl, or the other formats (.api?) then supported.

Yes, I know this, but the problem here is, that FSDS 'erases' the added modification that eliminates the problem of the clouds and traffic in front of the created objects.